LIVE UPDATES: No. 11 Texas opens the 2023 campaign versus Rice
The season is finally here! The No. 11 Texas Longhorns are set to begin their final campaign in the Big 12 Conference before heading to the Southeastern Conference. Before they get to league play, Texas has three non-conference games with the first versus longtime Southwest Conference foe Rice.
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FOURTH QUARTER UPDATES
Murphy finds Isaiah Neyor for the first completion and reception, respectively, for each in a Texas uniform.
Due to several penalties, Texas gets into a 1st and 40 situation. It turns into a 56-yard field goal attempt for Auburn. It’s no good.
Rice matriculates the ball inside the Texas 25 on the resulting possession. Rice encounters a fourth and inches and they convert it to make it first and goal for the Owls. JT Daniels finds a receiver in the end zone for a touchdown. 37-10 Texas.
Murphy runs an RPO to perfection and finds Johntay Cook over the middle. Texas is forced to punt a few plays later.
Rice runs one play and the game ends, 37-10 Texas.
THIRD QUARTER UPDATES
Texas kicks off to start the half, but Will Stone’s kick goes out of bounds and Rice will start at the 35, or the 30 with a false start putting them behind the sticks. It ends with a three-and-out.
A great return from Worthy puts Texas at the 38. Texas gets into third and long but Ewers scrambles again to pick up the first. Then, Ewers finds Worthy to set up a first down inside the red zone. Ewers finds Mitchell on an RPO for a score nine yards in length. 23-3 Texas.
On third and six, JT Daniels finds a receiver downfield for the Owls’ fourth first down of the game. They reach a third down opportunity just short of midfield and are stuffed. On fourth down, Rice is stuffed.
On the first play, Texas throws over the middle to Ja’Tavion Sanders for a 44-yard score. 30-3 Texas.
Ethan Burke begins the next Owl series with a sack. The Owl offense is forced to go three and out again.
Texas is forced into a fourth down and Brooks picks it up on the ground. Ewers looks deep for Mitchell and despite an uncalled interference penalty. It’s no problem as Jaydon Blue picks up the first on the ground. Ewers finds Whittington through the air to make it first and goal. Ewers runs it in from one yard out.
On the second play of the series, Jett Bush recovers a fumble.
Maalik Murphy now in at quarterback. He hands it off to end the quarter. 37-3 Texas.
SECOND QUARTER UPDATES
Texas will have a 1st and 10 on the Rice 37 to start the quarter. Ewers then finds Whittington over the middle to make it 1st down on the 11. The drive doesn’t reach the end zone, as a pass from Ewers intended for Brooks is dropped. Bert Auburn kicks a field goal. 10-3 Texas
Rice starts on its 14 after a great tackle from Ryan Watts and Michael Taaffe on the kickoff. Texas puts Rice into a 3rd and 6 but surrenders a chunk play into Longhorn territory on a crossing route. David Gbenda and Ethan Burke record a sack to make it third and long, and Jaylan Ford records an interception.
Baxter runs for 32 yards and comes up ginger. Brooks runs and gains a few before Ewers finds Mitchell for a first down. A short loss, an incompletion, and a false start creates a third and long that Texas doesn’t convert. A 46-yard attempt by Auburn is good. 13-3 Texas.
Austin Jordan intercepts JT Daniels after interior pressure from Byron Murphy.
Texas runs into a fourth and short after the interception. Jonathon Brooks is ruled short on the fourth down attempt.
Rice picks up a chunk play on first down with a swing pass to the running back, but the Horns force an incompletion on third and eight to bring on the punt team. The Rice punt is downed at the Texas three yard line.
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Ewers finds Worthy for 16 yards to get out of the shadow of the goal post. Texas is sacked but Brooks gets the yardage and more to make it third and short. Ewers finds Brooks for a first down.
Jaydon Blue moves the chains after a deep shot intended for Worthy is incomplete. On third and long, Ewers scrambles for a first down. With under 40 seconds left, Texas moves into field goal territory with a Keilan Robinson reception.
Auburn attempts a 49-yard field goal. It’s good. 16-3 Texas at half.
FIRST QUARTER UPDATES
Captains: Whittington, Ewers, Ford, Murphy
Honorary captain: David McWilliams
Rice calls tails. It is tails. Rice defers.
Texas starts the season on its 25. The Longhorns gain 7 with a screen to Whittington then don’t gain any on 2nd and 3rd down. Texas goes for it on their own 33 and the attempt falls incomplete.
Rice takes over and gains a first down in two plays. They lose 2 yards on their next three. Rice attempts a 43 yard field goal. It’s good.
Another touchback sets up Texas at the 25. Quinn Ewers finds Xavier Worthy on several occasions to get from the Texas 25 to the Rice 38. A trick play screen pass to Jonathon Brooks goes 37 yards to the house. 7-3 Texas 7:27
Rice starts on the 25. A short gain on first down doesn’t do much as Rice goes three-and-out.
Texas to start on its own 25. A run by Baxter then a quick screen to Adonai Mitchell moves the sticks. The drive stalls as Ewers can’t escape the pocket and is taken down for no gain. Rice will start on its 15 after a punt.
A nice PBU from Malik Muhammad, a stuff by Ethan Burke and Jaylan Ford, and a third down stop by Malik Muhammad ends the drive.
Texas gets into third and medium after one incompletion and a pass to Worthy. A heads-up play by Jake Majors to make contact with a DL in the neutral zone moves the sticks, and carry from Brooks does so to do it again at the quarter.
Texas 7, Rice 3
PREGAME UPDATES
First Longhorns on the field for pregame warmups were Xavier Worthy, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jonathon Brooks, Marshall Landwehr, and Jake Majors.
Center-quarterback pairings in pregame warmups:
- Jake Majors and Quinn Ewers
- Connor Robertson and Maalik Murphy
- Cole Hutson and Arch Manning
- Sawyer Goram-Welch and Charles Wright
Per Longhorn Network’s Alex Loeb, it is currently 166.1 degrees on Campbell-Williams Field.
First-team Texas secondary in warmups: Terrance Brooks, Jalen Catalon, Michael Taaffe, Jahdae Barron, Ryan Watts
Second-team Texas secondary in warmups: Gavin Holmes, Jaylon Guilbeau, Kitan Crawford, Jerrin Thompson, Malik Muhammad
Jalen Catalon and Jerrin Thompson were announced over the PA as the starters at safety.
Jonathon Brooks and CJ Baxter were both announced as the starters at running back.
